What Can We Still Do? MORE!!!

On The Outside Looking In

School let out on June 17th and I am really starting to feel as though the mental fog is just starting to lift. The most interesting part is that I really don’t think all that much about education or things related to the classroom like I used to. Yes I resigned from being a teacher and went into semi-retirement, but I was surprised with how quickly education related topics became a less important part of my life – much less.

Sure I still follow quite a few educators on blogs, Twitter and Facebook, read many of the links and news articles about education reform, but I really don’t get involved in the chats (once in a while I might throw in a comment or two), discussions or blog comments about those issues anymore.About the only time I comment now is when there are more personal type conversations, “how many homeruns did the Red Sox hit” or “stripers vs strippers”. I still want the personal connections even if we are not talking about education as much.I have pretty much removed myself from the education conversation for now – not that I was ever all that important – just another voice in the wilderness trying to be heard.

It seems that I needed most was to get away from the seemingly 24/7 educationally related immersion that was my life up until last month. For now I am focusing on other interests that I just never seemed to have time for, even when it was summer break (I still refuse to use the word vacation for the time when teachers are not in school – it isn’t). I think that this change has been a healthy change for me.This is a very strange change for me, because I had been fairly active in educationally related issues and improving myself as a teacher for the past decade or more. It is almost as though I am looking at education from the outside through a big glass window. I know a lot of the people on the other side of that window, but I am not really interested in what they are saying enough right now, to walk through the door and re-join the conversation. Perhaps I will later, but for now I am comfortable being on the outside looking in.

This is almost exactly the same feeling that I had when I retired from the Coast Guard in 1996, I walked away after a 20 career, didn’t look back very much for almost 10 years and lost contact with those who I worked with or were friends with. I don’t plan to make that mistake this time, because I did loose touch with many great people.

This is the biggest thing, I do not want to loose the connections with the many great educators, who have become my friends or part of my PLN during the time that I was a teacher. So if I am quiet for a while on Twitter or Facebook, it doesn’t mean that I am not listening, I simply have chosen to be quiet and let others do most of the talking, but every once in a while don’t be surprised if I add in my 2 cents.

Besides with all of the social media tools that we have available to us today, the old paradigm of loosing touch has lost much of its force.

Disclaimer

This is my personal blog where I will write about things that interest or happen to me. My blog, my choice. I do not represent anyone but myself.
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Don’t do or expect to do things the same way that I do, they might not work the same for you.
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All opinions and experiences expressed on this website are based on my own personal research and experiences. Please consult your doctor with any medical issues, trainer, nutritionist or other licensed professional before beginning a training program or attempting to do anything that I write about here.
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The information provided herein should not be construed as a health-care diagnosis, treatment regimen or any other prescribed health-care advice or instruction. The information is provided with the understanding that I am not engaged in the practice of medicine or any other health-care profession and do not enter into any health-care practitioner/patient relationship with its readers.

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In other words take responsibility for your own actions and think about what you are doing before YOU do it.